Racing Heart is a captivating second installment in the Apex Racing series, blending adrenaline-fueled drama with heartfelt romance. Jordan Rubie’s journey from a reckless, hotheaded race car driver recovering from a devastating crash to someone searching for healing is compelling and relatable. Pearl Carrington, the grounded advice columnist thrown into an unexpected adventure, provides a perfect foil to Jordan’s intensity.

Their impulsive road trip through the scenic Welsh countryside and an enchanting castle stay creates the perfect backdrop for sparks to fly and wounds—both physical and emotional—to begin mending. The chemistry between Jordan and Pearl is electric yet tender, and the slow unfolding of their connection feels genuine and earned.

While the racing world adds an exciting edge, it’s the emotional depth and growth of the characters that truly drive the story. Racing Heart balances humor, tension, and vulnerability beautifully, making it a satisfying and engaging romance.

Thank you to Darci St John, Bedford Square Publishers, and NetGalley for this ARC!

⭐️⭐️
Unfortunately I did not mesh well with this book. After reading the first in the series I was looking forward to explore more of Jordan’s ‘why’. I felt this was lacking the depth that his character deserved. As Jordan is a 34 year old man, facing the loss of his only remaining parent, his estranged sister coming back and being his boss, and the loss of his career— there were so many opportunities to explain and provide character growth but I felt everything was only surface level. Drama/conflicts felt very high school and there were too many different shallow plot points. I would’ve liked the author to dive deep into half the amount of plot points to make this a more thorough novel.

Something about the relationship just felt off to me. While people do fall into bed quickly, there just didn't seem to be that kind of chemistry on the page. It felt like the relationship was progressing too fast even for romance standards based on what the reader got on the pages.

Thank you BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the DRC of Racing Heart! All opinions in this review are my own.

I will preface this by saying, I didn't realize that Racing Heart is the second book in the Apex Racing series. Although I did not need to read Crash Into Me before to enjoy Racing Heart, there are spoilers for the first book in it.

I am having a hard time reviewing Racing Heart because I feel like I read two different books. The first half is a lighthearted story with a trip across Scotland and the second half deals with some heavy topics. There are also quite a few abrupt time jumps in the second half, which makes sense for the storyline, but could have been introduced more smoothly. Overall, Racing Heart is still an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series!

Racing Heart was a quick read but unfortunately the characters fell a bit flat. While you can understand that if it is the second book in an interconnected romance series that you will likely know something about at least one of the characters the writing made Racing Heart seem as if the reader should be already very aware of the backstory and personalities of both our main characters. In a way it seemed like diving into a fanfiction of something that you only watched tiktok edits of - like you get the names and the couple but have no understanding of the journeys they went through.

Racing Heart was kind of insta love which can be done well but again the romance didn't feel super earned. I also found the plotline to be rather weak.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Crash into me intrigued me enough to continue this series.
I couldn’t get into it and caught myself wanting to be finished.
It felt quite choppy, and lack of emotions for me towards the characters.
Although there were emotional topics it didn’t feel like it was deep enough to be invested in Pearl and Jordan.
There was some cute moments but all in all this just wasn’t one for me

There were a lot of cute and heartwarming moments between Pearl and Jordan. I loved how their time together started out as more of a distraction from what they were going through and how it morphed into something else the more they spent with one another. They had a great connection and I loved the things that happened on the road trip. While you can read this as a standalone I think it helps to read the first to understand Jordan even more. The actions of his past he reflects on a lot in this one. Pearl’s family life had some drama and emotion as she came to terms with it. The balance between serious and fun came at the right times.

Thank you @darcistjohnwriter @suzyapprovedbooktours the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy.

first off, thank you netgalley for this copy so i could read and offer my thoughts on it! as someone who loathes nascar, i was a bit apprehensive about how much id enjoy the racing / car heavy aspects. but over all, the story captured the best elements of it and wove a story that made you fall in love a little bit yourself.

the fmc is cautious, careful, and wise - but its less a decision and more the biproduct of a chaotic growing up. the cast of characters is colorful and eclectic. from the jewel sisters, to the rubie family, it’s a heart warming story about how sometimes love takes a different path to the one you expect.

It was fun to revisit the Apex racing world again despite there not being much racing. Jordan is retiring from the track and Pearl has just received shocking news from her mother and aunt. They experience a literal collision on the beach and sparks fly. It was nice to see the friendship between them develop as well as the relationship, and I liked the way they supported each other. It's book two in the series, but can be read as a standalone.

LOVED IT!

This book was pure joy from start to finish. I absolutely loved the chemistry between Jordan and Pearl—total opposites in the best way, but their connection felt natural, charming, and full of heart. The banter, the slow-burn tension, the emotional depth underneath all the fun? So, so good.

The Welsh seaside setting and castle wedding vibes were the perfect backdrop for this whirlwind, soft-hearted romance. And I loved that both characters were quietly working through real stuff—grief, fear, identity—without ever losing the humor or hope.

An absolute delight. I didn’t want it to end.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial for the advance copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one day! I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

I don’t know if this book knew what it wanted to be. It felt a little like a regency bodice ripper romance author wanted to get on the current F1 hype train.
The plot was all over the place, the pacing was faster than an F1 car with DRS in the straights, and the characters were bland.
Thanks #NetGalley and #BooksGoSocial for the ARC. Hopefully we can learn that works like this can stay on Ao3, and the time and effort of publishing a book can be given to better stories.

The story felt bland to me and uneven paced, I had to dnf unfortunately, because there was potential in the plot

Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring.

I did not finish after reading 41%. Thank you to the author/ publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley.

I picked up this book expecting a F1 or Motorsport romance and feel like I got a modern day regency novel instead. The story is contrived and choppy. Characters are underdeveloped and pacing is poorly executed.

I think the insta love/lust detracted from developing the overall story and characters.

I haven’t read the first book in this series and suspect that there are references made in this one that might have helped develop Jordan more.

I think there are some promising aspects but this book was definitely not for me. I was looking for much more racing/ Motorsport and less of a Scottish roadtrip/ wedding

A solid read with some great moments, although it had uneven pacing, a somewhat bland plot, and I wish it had more racing in it than just the end.

Racing Heart was a wild ride that just unfortunately didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
The story moved very fast and yet it felt like nothing was happening. Both the plot and the characters lacked depth and just felt very superficial to me. Unfortunately I really struggled through this book because the plot was all over the place and I found myself not being able to connect with the characters. There were parts where their personal struggles peeked through, but nothing was really addressed appropriately, and it just felt very flat. I think I’d really enjoy seeing this as a movie, but it just didn’t work as a book.

I did find the book entertaining, especially because it reminded me of a 2000s rom com in the sense that it was quirky (a little too much at times) and funny, and also a little bit cringey.
Overall it was a miss for me, but I think if you’re looking for those feel good rom com vibes, you should check this one out!

This was such an enjoyable read! As the second book in the Apex Racing Series, it follows Jordan Rubie, a race car driver recovering from a career-ending crash, and Pearl Carrington, an advice columnist struggling with family drama. Their chance meeting in Wales leads to a spontaneous road trip to Scotland for Jordan’s sister’s wedding. The chemistry between the two builds beautifully throughout the story. I loved how they both found healing, physically and emotionally, as they spent time together. The romance was sweet and slow-burn, and the backdrop of castles, family secrets, and a wedding added a fun twist. It was a light, heartwarming read, perfect for anyone looking for an escape into a charming, feel-good story.

If knew how to DNF a book, I would have DNF'd this. The story is soo slow, don't get me wrong it's cute... but there is sooo much going on at once and it is all over the place.

the story doesn't even make sense half of the time..

I was 35% into it and had no idea what's going on except a sisters wedding and sporadic drunken date???


… I officially DNF’d it.

I liked this a lot more than I expected to, considering how little racing action is in this racing romance! I didn't realize at first it was second in a series, but I had no issues reading it without having read the prior one. Racing Heart is a breezy read despite touching on some very serious subjects. I loved how fully fleshed out both Pearl and Jordan were as people - as were so many of the side characters. I never would have expected Bridgerton references in an F1 romance but somehow it works. I also loved the inclusion of other kinds of racing, showing F1 (or Apex) doesn't exist in isolation.